A first day at a new job is always bound to be a bit tough, maybe riddled with some rookie mistakes. Unfortunately for A.J. Clemente, his first-day blunders ended up getting him fired.

The young broadcaster’s new gig as an anchor for North Dakota NBC affiliate KFYR ended almost as quickly as it began after he was heard mumbling a few choice words (for example, an f-bomb) in the first seconds of the station’s evening report. His (now former) co-anchor Van Tieu attempted to recover after the quiet outburst, but what resulted was an obviously strained, tense segment.

“That couldn’t have gone any worse!” Clemente tweeted afterward, acknowledging his mistake. Turns out he was rehearsing some of his material and didn’t realize his mic was on. Though it sounds like he utters the word “gay” along with his swear words, he clarified on Twitter that he was trying to pronounce the name of London Marathon winner Tsegaye Kebede.

The news station offered an apology for the incident a few hours later, during the 10 p.m. newscast. Clemente also apologized on Twitter:

Tough day,Thanks for the support,We all make mistakes. Im truly sorry for mine. I'll try my hardest to come back better and learn from this.

When the news spread that KFYR decided to let Clemente go, Twitter users showed their support with the hashtag #KeepAJ. In the meantime, Clemente seems to be keeping a positive attitude. Even if he doesn’t get his gig back, NewsFeed hopes he enjoys his 15 minutes of viral fame.

Rookie mistake. I'm a free agent.Cant help but laugh at myself and stay positive.Wish i didnt trip over my "Freaking Shoes" out of the gate.